Railway-tie.



A. FOUNTAIN.

RAILWAY TIE.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 2. 191e.

www@

Patented Jan. 16, 1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

rams persas cq. Fumo-Limo.. wAsmNc nw. n. cv

A. FOUNTAIN.

RAILWAY TIE.

APPLICATION man SEPT. 2. 1916.

Lmw. Patented Jan. 16,1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

mags." m* y V WITNESSES WMLUWMM/MM'M; NVENTOR mL Noma-s psys/:s co nom uma. w/nsmwu mv. n. c

ARTHUR FOUNTAIN, 0F PAWHUSKA, OKLAHOMA.

RAILWAY-TIE.

Specicatlon of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 16, 1917..

Application filed September 2, 1916. Serial No. 118,190.

To all whom t may concern Be it known that I, ARTHUR FOUNTAIN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Pawhuska, in the county of Osage and State of Oklahoma, have invented a new and useful Railway-Tie, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has reference to railway ties, and its object is to provide a practically indestructible railway tie to replace the customary wooden ties ordinarily employed in railroads.

1n accordance withk the present invention the body of the tie is made up of concrete or vitriiied clay, or the like, with a metal rail holding member introducible lengthwise through the assembled blocks forming the body of the tie, with means for retaining the rail holding member in place and preventing spreading of the blocks, the arrangementbeing such that there is provided a certain amount of play or elasticity, preventing harmful effects due to expansion and contraction and conditions of travel.

The invention will be best understood from a consideration of the following detailed description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, forming part of this speciication, with the further understanding that while the drawings show a practical form of the invention, the latter is not conlined to strict conformity with the showing of the drawings, but may be changed and modified so long as such changes come within the scope of the appended claims.

1n the drawings, Figure l is a perspective view of a railway tie constructed in accordance with the present invention, with two track rails inrplace. Fig. 2 is an end view of the tie with a rail in place and shown on a larger scale than Fig. l. Fig. 3 is a vertical cross section through one of the blocks between the rails, the section traversing a pair of rail holding clips. Fig. 4 is a section on the line 4 4 of Fig. 2, with intermediate blocks of the tie omitted. Fig. 5 is a section on the line 55 ofFig. 4. Fig. 6 is a perspective view of one of the blocks making up the tie.

Referring to the drawings, there is shown a tie l formed of a series of blocks 2, each of which may be made of concrete or vitriied clay, or other suitable substance. The .blocks are made relatively 'short in the direction of the length of the tie, so that each tie is made up of a considerable number of blocks, say siX or seven or eight more or less, the blocks being placed end to end but not rigidly fastened together. Each block may be of substantiallyk rectangular form with that face constituting'the bottom face in the installed position rounded or convex, as shown at 8, such shape being advantageous for tamping the tie.

Extending through each block 2 is a passage 4, the passage being located near what constitutes the top of the block in the in- -stalled position and open at both ends. The passage 4 is of general oval shape in cross section and opens by way of a slot 5 extending throughout the length of the block, the slot being bordered by overhanging shoulders 6 on opposite sides. While the passage 4 is shown as oval in shape, such particular shape is not obligatory, so long as the passage has more or less the function of a dove-tail slot or passage.-

Adapted to and extending lengthwise through the alined slots 4 in a suliicient number of blocks 2 to constitute a tie there is a similarly shaped tubular member 7, that is the tubular member 7, is of oval shape if the passage 4 be of suchshape, or itis of other shape if the passage 4 be otherwise than oval. rlhe'tubular member 7 may be formed of sheet steel of heavy gage. Alongone side of the tube its walls are formed into parallel outstanding flanges 8 spaced apart far enough to receive an elongated plate or strip 9 of suliicient width to enter the interior of the tube nearly to the inner wall of the tube opposite to that from which the flanges S project. The strip 9 is as long or approximately as long as the tube 7, and sto-ps short of what constitutes the inner lower wall of the tube by a distance of say, about one quarter inch. Those edges of the flanges 8 remote from the tube 7 are oppositely bent to form other lianges l0 together constituting a rail supporting table upon which track rails 1l are placed and are held theretoin properly spaced relation by clips l2 held to the respective flanges 10 by bolts 13, so that the rails may be applied or removed at will without the necessity of the use of spikes.

In order to hold the flanges 8 of the tul bular member 7 together with the strip 9 intermediate thereof, both the flanges and the strip are traversed by bolts 14. At or near the ends of the strip 9 are brackets 15 on opposite sides of the strip riveted or i, otherwise secured thereto and fastened to the brackets at each end of the strip is a bar 16 of somewhat greater length than the width of the tube 7 and the passage t through which the tube extends.

`When the parts are assembled, one or both of the bars 16 are removed and the blocks r2 are strung upon the tube 7 or the latter is moved through the passages 4 of the blocks after they have been placed in alinement and then the strips 16 are replaced, bolts 17 being employed to hold them to the brackets 15. After the ties have been properly located, then the rails are made fast to the supporting tlanges 10 constituting the rail carrying table.

The tube 7 provides an elastic support for the rails taking up vibration, the passages 4 being of suflicient width and height to permit the slight give or flattening of the tube 7 under conditions of travel, especially on the passage of a train along the rails. Moreover, there is enough freedom of movement to compensate for expansion and contraction, and since the tie is made up of quite a large number of blocks, there is no liability of injury to the tie by breakage or splintering because of such expansion'and contraction or from other causes. The tie structure is very readily assembled or dismantled and may be repaired at any time more readily than a wooden tie can be removed and replaced by a new tie in the ordinary railway construction.

Both steel and reinforced concrete or vitriiied clay are substances not at all subject to decay and are strongly resistant to breakage. The longitudinally disposed central strip 9 extending through the steel tie member greatly stiifens this part and at the same time permits vibration without liability of injuring 'the curved part of the tie. Moreover, the clamping clips 12 may be made of spring steel, thus not only holding the rails firmly to the tie, but allowing for vibration without injury to the parts.

The tie as a whole is made up of a center or core piece in the form of a steel tube traversing a plurality of blocks of concrete, vitrified clay, .or the like., with the tube provided with an elongated neck along one side extending through a slot in the block communieating with the passage therethrough, while the neck terminates in oppositely directed portions providing a table or support for the rails.

The composite tie is susceptible of quick and easy repair, for should one or more of the blocks become damaged the structure may be partially ,or wholly dismantled and the damaged blocks replaced even more readily than a wooden tie can be removed and a new one installed.

lfilhat is claimed is 1. A railway tie comprising a metal core piece with a supporting portion for rails, A

and a1 body member composed of a plurality of blocks strung upon and held together by the core piece.

2. A railway tie comprising a metal core piece with a supporting portion for rails,

and a body member composed of a plurality of blocks strung upon and held together by the core piece, the blocks having those faces constituting the lower face of the tie conrexly rounded.

3. A railway tie comprising a series of alined blocks with alined passages therethrough opening at the tops of the blocks, and a tubular core piece extending lengthwise of the blocks and provided with means at the ends for holding the blocks together on the core piece and said core piece having rail supporting means at the top of the tie.

4. A railway tie consisting of a series of blocks of concrete or like material, each with a passage therethrough near what constitutes its upper face and opening to the cxterior of the block through said upper face with the lower face of the block convexly rounded, and a metal core of tubular form of substantially the same length as the eembined length of the assembled blocks and having a neck and a ilange portion -extending through and along the top of the blocks 4and constituting a supporting means for the rails.

5. A railway tie comprising a series of blocks with passages lengthwise therethrough and opening through the tops of the blocks and a rail supporting core piece of tubular form and extending lengthwise through the passages and alining the blocks and holding them together, said core piece having a neck portion extending lengthwise of the blocks and through the top of the blocks and there provided with oppositely directed flanges forming rail supports, the tubular member being provided with a longitudinally extended strip of a width to reach to a point close to the bottom of the interior of the tubular member to constitute a stiifening and abutting means.

6. A. railway tie comprising a series of blocks with passages lengthwise therethrough and opening through the tops of the gitudinally extended strip of a width to llO reach to a point close to the bottom of the interior of the tubular member to constitute a stifening and abutting means, said strip having` removable bars at the ends for holding the blocks together When strung upon the tubular member.

7. A railway tie comprising a series of blocks of concrete or like materiel, each With a passage therethrough opening through the top of the block and a metallic member of tubular foi-m on which the blocks are strung and constituting a holding means for the blocks, said tubular member having matching anges along one edge rising through the tops of the blocks and there oppositely spread to constitute supporting means for the rails, said tubular member having a longitudinal strip between the flanges and entering the tubular member to a point close to the inner bottom Wall thereof.

ln testimony, that I claim the foregoing as my own, 1 have hereto aHiXed my signature in the presence of tvvo Witnesses.

ARTHUR FOUNTAN.

Witnesses:

F. W. FARRAR, H. W. MCLAUGHLIN.

@epilee 'et' this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patente, Washington, D. U. 

